Russian-backed separatists fired at the units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the eastern town of Avdiyivka about 6,000 shells since on Jan. 30, ten servicemen were killed, 66 more wounded, Gen. Maj. Andriy Tsvetkov, the first deputy head of the Ukrainian united operational headquarters said.
He admitted that the situation in the combat zone near Avdiyivka escalated in the period from Jan. 29 to Feb. 3.
“Illegal armed units attempted to conduct offensives and drive the Ukrainian Armed Forces away from their positions,” Tsvetkov said during a meeting of the state commission for man-made and environmental safety and emergency situations on the situation in Avdiyivka in Kyiv on Feb. 3.
According to Tsvetkov, separatists failed to achieve success “due to organized actions of our troops and suffered losses.” He said that militants continue to shell the strongholds of Ukrainian army. Separatists has carried out about 40 long-lasting rounds of shelling of the positions and fired about 6,000 shells at the Ukrainian Armed Forces units, he said.
